Medical Assistant Certification in Maine – ME

Aspiring Medical Assistants in Maine can become certified in about a year after completing a program from a Maine medical assistant school. The health care industry is rapidly growing and in need of qualified medical assistants. Medical Assistants are health care professionals who support nurses and doctors by assisting with administrative and clinical duties. They may be responsible for performing things such as appointment setting, patient greeting, maintenance of patient charts, taking vital signs, drawing blood, suture removal, lab work, x-rays, change dressings, billing, payroll, calling prescriptions in to pharmacies and teaching patients how to take certain medications. Medical assistants are professionals who will perform a wide variety of tasks associated with managing the office so the medical staff can take care of their patients.

It is not required for Maine medical assistants to be certified to start working in this industry, although most employers will hire those that are certified. By having the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) certification, it enhances your skills, qualifications, competence, level of expertise and performance, which is attractive to potential employers. The CMA is the most prestigious medical assistant certification exam and will show potential employers that you have earned your credentials through the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA), which is a national certification recognized by employers across the country.

Continuing Education to maintain Certification

Medical assistants in Maine will need to re-certify every five years. This can be accomplished by earning continuing education credits or by taking the CMA (AAMA) recertification test. Medical assistants will have to have 60 recertification points within a five year period with 30 of these being an AAMA approved unit. The breakdown is as follows: 10 points being Clinical, 10 General, 10 Administrative and 30 being any combination of these three categories. Maintaining your credentials if an important factor in continuing to work in this industry.

Through campus based and online programs, aspiring Medical Assistants in Portland, Lewiston, Bangor, West Scarborough and Sanford, Maine may be able to prepare themselves for the possibility of employment in some of the largest hospitals and healthcare facilities in the state including the Maine Medical Center, Mercy Hospital, Brighton Medical Center and St. Josephs Hospital.

(Sources: BLS, AAMA, indeed.com)